1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic monetary systems. More specifically, the invention is business method and system for conducting monetary transactions electronically with a variety of safety and security features.
2. Description of Related Art
The related art of interest describes various bankcard systems, but none discloses the present invention of an electronic traveler's check system and method. The related art will be discussed in the order of relevance to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,891 B1 issued on Feb. 6, 2001, to Nobuo Furuhashi et al. describes a financial processing system comprising an electronic account bankbook, a money transfer card, a receipt file, and a checkbook utilizing an optical card, and an integrated circuit chip containing IC card, or a hybrid optical/IC card. The IC card memory has written validation keys, search keys, payee information, the upper limit amount of a check, and a program for processing transaction data. The history of various cash transactions is recorded in the optical recording sheet which is of write-once type, and rewriting or deletion thereof is impossible.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,366 B1 issued on Sep. 4, 2001, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,528 issued on Dec. 26, 2000, to Robert R. Hill et al. describe a check writing point of sale system adapted for computerized reading by a point-of-sale by a sales terminal of a customer's check, credit card or by manual input with subsequent debiting of a consumer's account and crediting the merchant's account for the goods or services provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,608 issued on Dec. 14, 1999, to Robert E. Dorf describes a multifunction card system capable of serving as a prepaid phone card, a debit card, a loyalty card for rewarding consumers for purchasing goods and services, and a medical information card, which is accessed by a merchant as a point-of-sale device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,684,291 issued on Nov. 4, 1997, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,509 issued on Nov. 23, 1999, to John M. Taskett describes a refundable prepaid telephone card.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,031 issued on May 15, 1990, to Gerhard Stenzel describes a security document such as a credit card or an identification card having a signing stripe, a centered horizontal fluorescent line, a narrow vertical slot diaphragm traversing the horizontal line, and a vertical double arrow marker adjacent the narrow slot diaphragm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,689 issued on Nov. 23, 1993, to Philippe Maes et al. describes a rechargeable prepaid memory card with both unit and page counters for purchasing goods or services. A non-volatile electrically programmable memory (EPROM) circuit is included within the card.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,407 issued on Oct. 3, 1995, to Sholom S. Rosen describes a complete electronic monetary system comprising (1) issuing banks coupled to a money generator device; (2) correspondent banks accepting and distributing the electronic money; (3) a plurality of transaction devices used by subscribers for storing electronic money; (4) teller devices for the issuing and correspondent banks; (5) a security arrangement for maintaining the integrity of the system; and (6) reconciliation and clearing processes to monitor and balance the monetary system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,118 issued on Jul. 1, 1997, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,487 B1 issued on Jul. 10, 2001, to Shoji Hayashida describes an electronic cashless system comprising an automatic transaction terminal device having a reading/writing unit for writing amount information to a cashless medium, and a center device having a unit for identifying the account balance of multiple accounts and for storing account information, a non-settled fund file unit for storing amount information written by the cashless medium, and a seller ledger file means for identifying the account balance of the multiple seller's accounts and for storing amount information.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,077 issued on Dec. 15, 1998, to Bruce Tognazzini describes a portable card authorizer system comprising a portable unit having a credit card reader for reading an authorization code and a first wireless transceiver for transmitting the card authorization to a base unit. The base unit has a second wireless receiver. The base unit causes the second wireless transceiver to transmit a credit approval or denial.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,717 issued on Jan. 25, 2000, to Alson Lee et al. describes a method and apparatus for acquiring access using a fast smart card transaction comprising the payment of goods or services by a credit card examined by a computerized system of an access device to read the card and perform first and second authentication processes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,741 issued on Nov. 14, 2000, to Juanita J. Wisdom et al. describes a universal pre-paid gasoline and oil travel card system comprising an encoded card and a data bank for purchases made at member gas stations for gas, oil and sundry items.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,169 B1 issued on Apr. 24, 2001, to Toru Mori et al. describes an electronic transaction processing system for transferring a monetary value between a payer and a receiver including a first memory apparatus storing a payer's digital cash, a second memory apparatus storing a receiver's digital cash, and a third memory apparatus storing temporarily the payer's digital cash transferred from the first memory apparatus. The credit card has an integrated circuit and terminal for processing the transaction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,109 B1 issued on May 1, 2001, to James Y. Yang describes a credit card with a driver's license or identification comprising a photograph, a magnetic strip storing information providing access to the credit of the holder and personal information.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,647 issued on Jul. 24, 2001, to Alberto Fernandez describes methods and apparatus for a value storage system in which information is directly written to a portable card as a reference fingerprint. The system includes a plurality of read/write units for storing and retrieving the value information. Each of the read/write units include a data authenticator for authenticating information previously stored on the storage medium. The authentication information consists of a numerical representation of a level of trapped charges in an EEPROM representing the reference fingerprint. The read/write units are connected to a central server which retrieves information from each read/write unit, stores information, and provides various accounting and statistical analyses, and reconciling transactions between the plurality of read/write units. The stored value represents units of value employed in a company loyalty program which are stored on a portable media during a sales transaction, and later redeemed for purchase of or discounts on merchandise or a gaming player's points or winnings.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,927 issued on Jul. 31, 2001, to Robin Lo et al. describes method and apparatus for overlaying a data image on a form image, and includes a form enhancement module that interfaces to a PostScript drive and a forms overlay plug in the module. A change of address card is filled out and recorded in the system.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.